Adjustable level and gage attachment for squares.



No. 649,626. Patented May I5, |900.

H. BRAUN.

ADJUSTABLE LEVEL AND GAGE ATTACHMENT FOR SGUARES.

(Application filed Jax. 9, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Model.)

A TTOHNE YJ'.

N0. 649,626. Patented May l5, |900.

H. BRAUN. ADJUSTABLE LEVEL AND GAGE ATTACHMENT FOR SllUARES.

(Application filed Jan. 9, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

/TNESSES now/ lhvrrnn STAT-ns PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BRAUN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES F. GALLERY, OF SAME PLACE.

ADJUSTABLE LEVEL AND GAGE ATTACHMENT FOR1SQUARES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,626, dated May 15, 1900.

Application led January 9, 1899. Serial No. 701,611. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom if; may concern:

lle it known that l, HENRY BRAUN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Square, Level, and Adjustable Miter-Gage Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an adjustable attachment combining within itself a gage and level, which while more especially designed as an adjunct or attachment for or to be used in connection with a carpenters standard steel square of the usual or any preferred construction will be also desirable for use upon other similar instruments,

and while I have shown in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the following specification the preferred embodiment of my idea with respect thereto it will be understood that the substantial equivalent thereof is comprehended by me in this application, and l do not wish, therefore, to be confined absolutely and strictly to the exact showing I have made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing an ordinary steel carpenters square having my attachments secured to the under side thereof and showing the square as applied to use, the same resting upon a portion of a board and showing one of the many uses to which my invention may be applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of one form of my adjustable attachment, wherein the level is omitted. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 on line 3 3. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show modified constructions of my attachment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an ordinary table or work-bench, showing a earpenters square provided with my adjustable attachments. Fig. 8 shows another application or use of the square provided with my adjustable attachments. Fig. 9 is a perspective detail showing the attachment designed for use upon the larger limb of the square, while Fig. 10 is a similar view of the attachment designed for cooperation with the smaller limb of the square. Fig. 11 is a central section of the level-tube shown in Figs.

9 and 10 looking toward the thumb-screw. Fig. 12 is a section of Fig. 11 on line 12 12, showing the thumb-screw in full and looking toward the left. Fig. 13 is a sectional view 55 of Fig. 11 on line a; showing the level-tube removed and looking toward the right. Fig.

14 is a perspective detail View of the adjustable end section of the level-tube.

It will be readily apparent that the square 6o to which my attachment is applied may not only be used for all or any of the Various purposes for which such an instrument is desirable, but in addition to such ordinary uses the square will be found to possess a greater capacity for usefulness, inasmuch as it may be employed as a gage and a leveling and plumbing instrument, and while it would be impracticable to designate or describe all of the varied applications of the instrument 7o equipped with my improved attachment l will for the purpose of illustration describe a few uses to which the instrument may be placed-as, for instance, a square provided with my adjustable guides or attachments may be used, as shown in Fig. 1, to lay off the risers and treads upon an ordinary or spej' cial carriage when building stairways or the like, while, as shown in Fig. 7, the instrument may be used as a level, and it will be 8o found equally efficient when employed as a plumbing instrument, as shown in Fig. 8. My invention therefore may be termed a combined square, level, and adjustable mitergage, inasmuch as the ordinary steel square employed by carpenters and other mechanics to which my attachment is applied becomes an instrument which subserves all of the purposes for which any one of said instruments is separately employed, since it 9o will be seen that the addition of my attachment provides means for holding the square accurately to its work and additional means for indicating the true horizontal or vertical position of the instrument or the object to which it is applied.

The several elements of my invention and their 'cooperating accessories will be designated by numerals.

1 indicates a carpenters steel square of the loo usual or any preferred construction, which has attached to either side thereof, as may be tegrally formed with the square, if deemed.

more desirable.

My adjustable attachment, as illustrated in Fig. 2 and other views of the drawings, consists of the end sections or guides 3 and 4, held into operative relationship, as by the connecting ribs or bars 5 and 6, the latter hav-l ing the preferably centrally-disposed enlargement or body-section 7, which is provided with a vertical centrally-disposed threaded aperture designed to receive the threaded stem 8,1which latter is provided with the controlling-handle or thumb-Wheel 9, by means of which said stem is rotated, it being understood that the threaded aperture receiving -the stem is continuous throughout the section 7 and that the inner end thereof is enlarged, thus providing a recess which is designed to receive the enlarged end 8a of the stem 8, the object of this construction being to prevent the casual displacement of the setscrew, and thus insure against the loss thereof, it being clear that the end 8 is designed to bear against the outer face of the rib 2, and thus-enable the attachment to be adjusted or secured to any desired point thereon. The guiding-sections 3 and 4 have formed in their lower edges registering dovetailed recesses or slots 10, both being designed to receive the rib 2, and it is therefore clear that the entire attachment may, when the threaded stem is properly rotated, be freely moved into any desired adjustment or to any point upon the square and there reliably secured in place by said stem. It is clear, therefore, as above stated, that the dovetailed ribs 2 may be placed upon either or upon both sides of the square, as preferred, and that the attachment, consisting, as it does, of the simplyconstructed parts illustrated in Fig. 2, may be cheaply formed and disposed in its operative position upon said rib or readily removed therefrom, inasmuch as one end of each rib is entirely free, thus permitting the attach- )nent to be easily slipped off of the saine when the square may be used as is now common.v It is further clear that the shape of the rib. may be varied, since a simpley tube or rod may be substituted for the dovetailed rib, in which case round holes may be provided in the sections 3 and 4 in lieu of the dovetailed recesses 10, as required when the dovetailed ribs are employed. Y

While, as above stated, I prefer that ihe rib 2 shall be continuous from one end of the square to the other-that is to say, the rib upon the smaller and larger limbs or blades ofthe square should unite and merge into each other at their point of union-it will be understoodthat this form of construction for said ribs may be varied as preferred and that the ribs may be of shorter extent if deemed desirable.

In order to render my adjustable gage attachment adapted to be used as a combined gage and level, I secure in position between the sections 3 and 4 the tubular body or protector 11, within which I mount the glass tube l2, which may be seen through the opening 13, provided in the tube 1l.

In order that the tube 11 may be conveniently removably secured in position between the sections 3 and 4, I provide in the inner faceof one of the sections, preferably the section 4, the concavity or recess 14, While the end of the tube 11 is preferably rounded to it said recess, the opposite end of the tube being provided with the extension or rib 15, adapted to fit a slot or groove 16, formed in the inner face of the section 3. The tube 11 is of proper length to exactly reach between the sections 3 and 4 when the rounded end thereof is placed in the recess 14 and the rib 15 is disposed in the groove 1G, and in order to lock the tube in an adjusted position in the seats provided for its reception I form upon the end of the tube a series of screwthreads adapted to receive the thimble 17, which may be turned so as to tightly bear against the inner face of the section 3, and thereby lock the tube in an adjusted position in the groove 16. The thimble 17 is provided with the milled edge or thumb-section 18, by means of which the thimble may be more readily disposed in the desired position. Y It 'is clear that inasmuch as the opposite end of the tube 11 is rounded, so as to fit the recess 14, the thimble end thereof may be easily adjusted in the desired position in the groove 16, and said rounded end will find its proper bearing or seat Within said recess.

` It is clear that the tube 11 may be cut away upon one or more of its sides in order to insure that the glass tube within may be' observed, though I have shown but one aperture, and when but one is employed I prefer to dispose the same substantially as shown in Figs. 9 and 10-that is to say, the aperture 13 should be formed in the tube upon that side thereof adjacent to the thumb-screw when the device is designed for use upon the larger ICO IIO

blade of the square, While said aperture should be disposed upon the outside of said tube or upon that side thereof opposite the thumbscrew when used upon the smaller blade of the square, thereby insuring that the bubble or bead of alcohol, air, or a globule of oil or the like contained Within the glass tube may be more conveniently seen by the operator during the process of plumbing and leveling. While the disposition of said apertures will, itis thought, be found to be most desirable when made as herein specified, it will of course beV understood that apertures may be formed in both sides of the tube both toward and from the thumb-screw, thus enabling the attachments to be use interchangeably upon each blade of the square.

By reference to Fig. 7 it will be observed that when the attachment is used as a level the disposition of the aperture 13 upon the upper side of the tube or that side adjacent to the thumb-screw will enable the operator to readily observe the location of the bead and the incident level position of the instrument. It will be further observed that while the larger limb of the square will when disposed as shown in Fig. 7 indicate the true horizontal position of the table or other object the smaller limb will of course indicate the true plumb or vertical position of any object to which it is applied or will indicate that such object is not in plumb.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the attachment without the level-tube, showing that the same will prove a useful adjunct to the square, as it may be freely moved upon the rib 2 to any desired point, and I therefore desire to use the same,without a leveling attachment or with it, as I may deem most desirable under the circumstances. When the tube is employed, the rib 5 is modified and disposed more out of the way, as by locating the same near the lower edge of the sections 3 and 4, as shown in Figs. 9, l2, and 13.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown another form of construction of my attachment, which consists of the body 19, provided at one end with the guiding-section 20, disposed at right angles to said body-section. Above the bodysection I dispose the housing 2l, secured in any preferred way to said body-section and provided with the longitudinally-disposed slot 22, corresponding in size with and parallel to a slot formed in the body-section, said slots being designed to receive the stem of the set-screw 23, and in order to prevent said seti screw from casually slipping out of place I provide upon the stem thereof the integrally or otherwise formed collar 24, designed to be loosely reciprocated between the housing and body and yet permit the lower end 25 of the set-screw to reach downward through the slot formed in the body-section and into engagement with oneof the series of threaded apertures 26, formed in the blade of the square 27.

I prefer to form upon the blade of the square a guiding-groove 28, and within said groove is designed to reciprocate the ribs or extensions 29 and 30, formed upon the body-section. The housing 2l may have its forward end seated in suitable apertures provided in the right-angled extension 2O or otherwise secured thereto, while the rear end thereof may be attached to said body in any preferred way, as by the screw or rivet 3l, it being understood that the inner end 32 of said rivet may be cnt away to tit the groove 28, in which case the extension 30 upon the body will not be required.

lVhile I have shown several different modifications of my improved attachment for squares, it will be understood that they are modifications of each other, and I reserve the right to use any of said forms in practice which may prove best adapted for the purpose, and I therefore desire to comprehend in the claims all of said modifications. It is further obvious that while I have described the preferred manner of forming each of the separate parts of my square attachment and the modifications it will be understood that the substantial equivalent thereof is comprehended by me. The use of the attachment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is substantially the same as that set forth for the other forms of construction, it being understood that the set-screw 23 is entirely removed from .its threaded aperture 26 and inserted in the aperture nearest the point Where it is desired to locate the section 20, it being clear that the slot provided in the body-section and the slot 22 in the housing are to permit an exact adjustment of the section 2O with respect to any of the graduations indicated upon the square, when the entire attachment may be easily secured by the set-screw 23. The entire device shown in Fig. 4 may be readily removed and placed in the pocket or other receptacle without fear of casual displacement or loss of said set-screw, inasmuch as the collar or enlarged section 24 thereof will prevent it from separating from the other parts, while in Fig. 3 and other views I have shown, as previously set forth, the lower end of the threaded aperture provided to receive the setscrew as slightly enlarged and a corresponding enlargement of the end of the threaded stem fitting said aperture, the object being to prevent the set-screw from casually dropping out of place and becoming lost.

It will be understood that any substantial variation of this construction may be made, as by providing an annular recess or shoulder near the lower edge of said aperture and a collar secured to the end of the set-screw and adapted iit said recess, and inasmuch as this construction will guard against the loss of the set-screw I desire to fully comprehend.' the same in this application.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A combined gage and level attachment for squares consisting of the parallel sections 3 and 4 and ribs 5 and 6, all integrally formed; a set-screw carried by one of said ribs; a leveltube having a rounded terminal at one end and an extension or rib at the other end; a corresponding seat formed in the inner surface .of each of the sections 3 and 4 adapted to receive the ends of said tube; and an adj ustable collar carried by said tube whereby the latter may be secured in an adjusted position, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An adjustable gage attachment for squares consisting of parallel sections permanently secured together, each section being provided with a recess in its inner surface,

IOO

said recesses being oppositely disposed With respect to each other, in combination with a level-tube tting said recesses andy an adjustable collar carried by one end of said tube adapted to be brought tightly to bear against the contiguous surface of one of said sections whereby said tube will be locked in place as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an adjustable attachment for gagesquares, the combination with a square having an anchoring-rib upon its surface, of a movable body having parallel sections and cross-ribs and further having a recess adapted to fit the 'rib upon said square, a set-screw carried by said body and designed to bear upon said rib, in combination with an adjustable level-tube having an eXter-iorlythreaded end and a collar fitting the same whereby an outward movement of the collar upon said tube will practically lengthen the tube and thereby bring one end of said tube and said collar tightly to bear upon the inner surface of said parallel sections and thereby lock the two in place as specified and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a square havinga dovetailed rib upon its surface, of the herein-described adjustable attachment consisting of parallel sections and connecting-ribs, all integral, a set-screw carried by one of said ribs; recesses formed in said side sections adapted to iit said rib; a level-tube consisting of an outer metallic tube having a side opening and an inner glass tube, said eXterior tube being rounded at one end and provided With a rib at the opposite end and further having an internally-threaded collar adapted to fit over said rib whereby when said collar is moved outward the tube will be tightly bound between said parallel sections, thereby permitting said tube to be adjustably disposed in position, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oi' two Witnesses.

HENRY BRAUN.

Vitnesses:

J. A. KIERNAN, W. J. MARTIN, Jr. 

